Holding device

ABSTRACT

A holding device comprising two elongated portions, the first portion having a flat side for mounting with double back tape, or by other means, and a recessed alignment slot and double curve on the opposing side that fits the double curve and alignment bar on the second portion, causing absolutely correct alignment of the magnetic parts of the device. The alignment area of the said first portion is attached to the second said portion by means of matching hinge points with a corrosion free hinge pin, which aligns the mating surfaces, and one of the said portions having either a piece of ferrous material or a magnet encapsulated, and the opposing portion having magnetic material encapsulated, attracting the second said portion to the first said portion, thus, holding until deliberately removed, various materials between the two said portions, such as, but not limited to, a towel.

REFERENCES CITED [REFERENCED BY]

U.S. Patent Documents 840,618 January, 1907 Golombek 248/205 979,436 December, 1910 Corbin 248/205 2,505,899 May, 1950 Jobe 248/206 2,911,179 November, 1959 Hammerly 248/339 4,346,501 August, 1982 Saiya 24/329 D274,026 May, 1984 Boroch D6/548 4,699,279 October, 1987 Spira 211/89 4,840,341 June, 1989 Hasegawa 248/316 4,907,771 March, 1990 Wang 248/222 4,943,026 July, 1990 Gerhard 248/339 D310,147 August, 1990 Aaron D6/524 5,026,012 June, 1991 Wang 248/222 5,076,523 December, 1991 Wang 248/222 5,356,102 October, 1994 Blumenaus 248/205 5,711,434 January, 1998 Adams 211/86 5,967,476 October 1999 Chen 248/304 6,131,864 October, 2000 Schumann 248/304 6351869 March 2002 Jones 15/209.1 6,352,229 March, 2002 Adams 248/316 6,367,638 April, 2002 Gougian 211/105 D458/535 June 2002 Henderson 248/304 6,491,271 December, 2002 Adams 248/206

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Heretofore, towel hangers and wall attached clothing hangers used smooth hooks or protruding rods as is exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. D274,026 Boroch May 29, 1984 over which one could hang a towel or a mounted ring, exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,012 Wang, Jun. 25, 1991 through which a towel could be placed. A shirt or other cloth object can also be hung on a wall mounted hook such as U.S. Pat. No. D458,535, and U.S. Pat No. 5,967.476 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,864. There are also towel holding devices using flexible finger like projections inwardly located within a circle in order to hold, or grip the towel until the next use. Some prior art used special towels with button hole like areas to fit over the hook or protrusion as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,351,869 Jones, others have made a magnet which can be attached to a towel so that it can be placed against a steel refrigerator or other flat ferrous metal object. Others have used spring-loaded holding devices which grip the towel or other soft objects, such as U.S. Pat Nos. 840,618, and 979,436, and2,505,899 and 4,840,341. In order to hang rigid material the material had to have a hole, flange or the like to have the object stay on the hanger. The spring loaded devices which are little more than modifications of a clothes pin, could be used to hold rigid materials and are being used to hold paper in office situations. Some prior art uses weighted hinged device in which the towel can be held just by the weight of the outer portion which has and area indented on the mounting side and a mating surface on the outer portion.

Unfortunately, there are many negative unexpected results from the use of the aforementioned devices. For instance the biggest perceived drawback to the smooth hook is that it allows an object that is suspended on the hook to be easily knocked off the hook onto the floor, also the hook can be easily broken by someone grabbing the object being hung and pulling in the wrong way. The ring style towel holders are not generally used to hang anything except a towel and are not generally good for any other use. The towel gripper with the inwardly protruding fingers works well but wears out in just a few months of use (see photograph page 3 of drawings section). This prior art has lost its place in the market because the amount of returns to the retailer has been excessive. Spring loaded devices generally speaking have two drawbacks. The springs can rust and become weak or break. Spring loaded devices can cause physical harm if the device is opened to its limit and released suddenly. These devices have become unpopular for two reasons. One, they have a tendency to tear or rip towels that are not new and two, it takes two hands to operate them. Weighted devices cannot be used in any manner except vertical and has the drawback of not being useful for any object other than a towel and have been shown to not have broad acceptance in the market place.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention achieves superior results and overcomes the problems of the heretofore prior art and relates to holding devices for used to hold towels, paper, clothing, disposable exam gowns or any fabric or plastic material such as but not limited to, an exposed x-ray film, which needs to be held in place temporarily. And, in particular to holding devices which use opposing sides to grip what is being held between those opposing sides and relates more particularly to holding devices which have adjacent mating surfaces which are kept in position by a common hinge point.

The general object of the invention is to provide an easy to use device for temporarily holding material in its grasp so as to prevent the material from falling on the ground, floor or other places which would be inappropriate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a holding device which is attractive enough to place in any part of a home or office.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a holding device which has enough longevity so as to have little chance of wearing out in an owners lifetime.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a holding device which, during the insertion into or removal from, will not tear or damage the object being held.

It is a further object of the invention to make a holding device in which springs are unnecessary.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a holding device which is safe to use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following disclosure.

The unique holding device disclosed herein is an inexpensive to make uncomplicated device which can be made in various sizes and out of various non ferrous materials, thereby accommodating the user and purpose. The unique holding device is easy to operate and is, attractive enough not to have to be stored when not in use. The unique holding device can be used in the bathroom, kitchen, on the patio, in a cabana or other suitable places in the home or in places of business. Its unique design makes it useful as a holder for a shower curtain, as well as a robe, bath towel, kitchen towel, papers and paper objects but is not limited to the same. The holding device is suitable for use in prisons or mental institutions because it would be difficult to harm oneself with it. 

1. A magnetic holding device comprising:
 2. A two part device comprising two elongated parts made of non ferrous material and containing a magnet in one of the said two parts and a ferrous material slug in the other of the said parts, or a magnet in each of the said two parts, in order to attract one said part to the other at a given mating point.
 3. The magnets or ferrous material and magnet are imbedded in the said non-ferrous elongated parts in order that the said two parts will be magnetically attracted at only one specific mating area of each of the said parts. The strength of the magnet or magnets is to be determined by the weight of the object or objects to be held.
 4. A hinge area is integrated into each of the said two parts, where said hinge design allows one of the said parts to be attached to, or mounted on a surface, and which allows the other of the said two parts to be freely movable around the said hinge point.
 5. The said two parts to be shaped in such a manner as to allow room for extra material to be held above the magnetic contact areas.
 6. The shape of each of the two said parts is such that it is easy to put the material to be held into the holding device, thereby making it unnecessary to use both hands to operate it.
 7. The design of the holding device is intuitive and as such it needs no instructtions on how to use it.
 8. The holding device keeps continuous even pressure on what it is holding, without the use of springs.
 9. The holding device is self centering so that said elongated part used for mounting and said second elongated part have the said specific contact areas always in correct alignment.
 10. The holding device is safe to use because it has no springs and therefore cannot snap back from an extreme open position and harm the user. 